Ombrelo 18 years – part 8
This is a true story about how we became Ombrelo. First there was an idea. Then one person. Then two. Then a small group who believed in the same direction. It wasn’t clear what this would become. There was only a feeling that things could be done differently—together. This year Ombrelo turns 18. Of age. But this is not a ceremonial speech. This is a 12-part series about how a community is born. How people find each other under the same shelter. How growth is not just about numbers, but about trust. This is our story.
The password was wrong
At one point, the password to Ombrelo’s Wi-Fi network contained the names of three locations: Seinäjoki, Vaasa and Kokkola. Followed by a full stop. There would be no more. Buying toilet paper for three locations was quite enough.
But things turned out differently.
In 2020, a change in the entrepreneur’s life brought about a move from Ostrobothnia to Rauma – and with it, the Satakunta region became familiar. Then 2022 turned out to be unexpectedly eventful. Ombrelo Pori was established in the spring, with two entrepreneurs and its first premises. A satellite location opened in Pietarsaari in April. Ombrelo Raahe began operating in early summer, followed by Rauma in the autumn, where two speech and language therapists joined the team.
The Pori story continued in its own way. The entrepreneurs moved on, and a quieter period followed. But then there was Taija, who had spent three summers working at Ombrelo while she was a student. She knew us, and we knew her. When Taija graduated in 2025, she started the new Pori team. Speech and language therapist Iiris joined in spring 2025, followed by the team’s first occupational therapist towards the end of the year.
The Pietarsaari satellite location grew into a fully established Ombrelo location in 2025.
Raahe began with a phone call. Roosa-Maria, who was working in Vaasa, called to say that she did not want to change workplaces, even though she and her husband had found their dream home in Raahe. We wanted to keep Roosa-Maria on the team. So we looked for a solution and opened a new location.
Although it has not been the most profitable business decision, being okay is enough. In Raahe, too, clients meet an Ombrelo therapist who is there because she genuinely wants to be. That matters – to the client as well.
The password has been changed.